Beenice j



' (No Model.)

B. J. NOYES.

MUNICIPAL SIGNAL APPARATUS No. 359,688. I Patented Mar. 22, 1887.

NITED in'rns ArnNi rains,

BERNIOE J. NOYES, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE MUNICIPAL SIGNAL COMPANY, OF PORTSMOUTH, N. H.

MUNICIPAL SIGNAL APPARATUS.

SPEQIPICATlION forming part of Letters Patent No. 359,688, dated March 22, 1887.

(X0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Bnnmon J. NoYns, of Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Municipal Signal Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention has for its object to construct a signaling apparatus especially applicable to police-signaling, where signals of different character or significance are transmitted from the sub-stations to the central station and are recorded, and an audible alarm is sounded for certain signals, and not for others, indicative of the importance of the message.

In accordance with this invention, the sub station is provided with a transmitting apparatus constructed and arranged to produce while the boxdoor is closed a series of short changes in the circuit, followed by a prolonged change, and to produce while the box-door is open a series of short changes in the circuit, or a series of short changes, followed by a prolonged change.

The transmitting apparatus in this instance consists of a series of break-wheels mounted upon a shaft, and set in motion to revolve one complete revolution by a suitable motor, ascrics of pens to be moved into contact with the brealcwhecls, one at a time, and a selecting-cylinder provided with projections upon its surface to cause one or another of the pens to come in contact with a brealcwheel, as desired, such a transmitting apparatus being substantially such as shown in a Patent No. 330, 032, dated June 16, 1885. In this instance the citizens signal is transmitted with the boxdoor closed, and the patrol-signal with the box: door open. Consequently two pens insulated from each other, and connected with branch wires controlled as to their connection with the main line by a switch, will normally lie in contact with two of the break-wheels, and any special signal is transmitted with the boredom open, the selecting-cylinder being moved to bring one or another contact-pen into contact with a break-wheel.

Each break-wheel is notched or provided with insulated portions to change the condition of the circuit a sufficicnt number of times.

to indicate the box-number, and also, if desired, additional notches or insulated portions are supplied to indicate any suitable signalas, for instance, a special signal and in this instance each break-wheel arranged for sending special signals, and also that one arranged for sending the citizens signal, is provided with a long notch or insulated portion, so that a series of short interruptions, or a series of short interruptions followed by or preceded by a long interruption,is transmittedfl At the receiving-station a relay is included in the circuit, the armature of which controls a local circuit containing a suitable receivinginstrument to receive the message, and another relay is also included in the main circuit, the armature of which moves an engaging-lever back and forth into and out of engagement with a moving toothed wheel, said engaginglevcr being loosely connected with the opposite end of the armature, so that when thrown into engagement with the toothed wheel and retained for a short time-as, for instance, upon a prolonged interruption of the currentthe said lever is moved upward by the toothed wheel, in order that a latch or annunciatordrop may be released to close a local circuit containing an audible alarm, and in this instance, the special signal and the citizens signal being transmitted by a break-wheel having a long notch or insulated portion thereon, the audible alarm is not sounded in conjunction with the patrol-signal.

The drawing shows in diagram the transmitting apparatus of the sub-station and the receiving apparatus at the main or central station.

The sub-station (indicated by S) contains a suitable multiple transmitting apparatus for transmitting several different signals, in this instance it being shown as containing a series of break-wheels mounted upon a shaft, a, a series of contact-pens attached to a block, a, and arranged to (so-operate, respectively, with the break-wheels, and a selecting-cylinder, I), having a series of projections, 12, about its surface to determine which. one of the said contact-pens shall remain in contact with its break-wheel, such a transmit-ting apparatus being substantially as shown in the patent above referred to.

A pointer (not shown) is fast to the selecting-cylinder 1), moving a dial upon the faceplate of the box, the position of the pointer indicating the desired signal and which pen shall come in contact with the break-wheel.

A, suitable motor (not shown) is employed to rotate the break-wheel shaft one complete revolution when set in operation.

The transmitting apparatus is constructed and designed to transmitthree classes of signals: first, a citizens signal with the box-door closed; second, a patrol-signal with the boxdoor open; and, third, any special'signal desired by an officer with the box-door open. To effect thisresult,a contactpen is normally in contact with the citizens break-wheel c, and a contact-pen is also normally in contact with the patrol break-wheel 0', while the remaining contact-pens are disengaged.

The contact-pens of the citizens and patrol break-wheels are insulated from each other, and are connected, respectively, by branch wires 2 3 with the main line, but controlled by the spring-controlled switch A, controlled in turn by the opening and closing of the door of the box, so that with the box-door closed the branch 2 is connected with the main line, as shown in the drawing, to thus transmit the citizens signal while the branch 3 is cut out,-

and when the box-door is open the branch 3 will be connected with the main line and branch 2 will be cut out.

At the receivingstation a relay, R, is included in the main line wit-h the battery B, the armature R of the said relay controlling a local circuit, R including a receiving-instru-t ment, in this instance shown as an ordinary recorder, The relay B being responsive to the changes of the circuit, the recorder will record all the messages. A relay, T, is also included in the main circuit, its armature T being carried by a lever, T pivoted at 20, and said lever T has pivoted to its opposite end an engaging-leven't, which follows upon a loop or guideway, t, attached to any suitable frame-work,the said engaging-lever being beveled or sharpened at its end to engage the teeth of a moving wheel, t, carried continuously by any suitable motor.

As the armature T of the relay T is released the engaging-lever t is thrown into engagement wit-h the toothed wheel t, and as the armature is again retracted the said engaginglever is withdrawn, thus moving back and forth as the condition of the current is changed.

As it is desirous to sound an audible alarm to give warning upon the reception of certain signalsas, for instance, a citizens signal, or any special signals, and not upon the reception of the patrol signal--tl1ose break-wheels operating to transmit a signal requiring a warning-alarm are cutaway orinsulated upon their peripheries for a portion of their length, to thus produce a prolonged interruption or change in the condition of the circuit, which will cause the armature T of the relay'l to-be retracted for a longer interval of time, the en gaging-lever t to engage the toothed wheel 13,

and be moved upward by the said wheel until a hooked portion, t, attached to the said lever z, engages a latch or annunciatondrop, 15*, releasing the latter and closing a local circuit, V, containing a vibrator or other suitable bell, o, thus giving an audible warning for any signal being transmitted with a prolonged change. 7

the attendant; or any suitable automatic means may be employed to replace the latch t.

To transmit the patrol signal, it not being desirable that the audible alarm should be sounded, the box-number is simply transmitted, while the remaining portion of the wheel is not cut away, so that the engaging-lever tis merely vibrated back and forth, and not retained in engagement with the toothed wheel I a sufiicient length of time to be raised, and thereby release the annunciator-drop.

It is obvious thatinstead of transmitting the signal followed by a prolonged change in the condition of the circuit, as herein shown, the reverse of this operation may be carried out with the same result;

lVhileI have herein shown a toothed wheel for moving a pivoted lever upward to effect the operation of an audible alarm, it is obvious that other mechanism under the control of the relay T and capable of being brought into operation upon a prolonged change of the circuit may be cmployedwithout departing from the essence of this invention.

It is obvious that instead of changing the conditionof the circuit by total interruptions,

as described, any other well-known means may be employed without departing from this ini'nvention.

I do not herein specifically claim any particular form or construction of relay to control the receiving-instruments, such a relay being capable of responding only to the current changes in the circuit of definite duration and not responding to current changes of any other duration produced by the transmitter; but I desire it to be understood that any form of transmitter capable of producing current changes of different duration when combined with two receiving-instruments-such, for instance, as a message-recording instrument and an audible alarm, and the like, one of which responds to current changes of short duration and the other to current changes of long duration-comes within the scope of my invention.

I claim 1. In a system for transmitting signals from IIC one station to another, a transmitting apparatus constructed and arranged to produce a series of short changes in the condition of the circuit and aprolonged change, also a series of short changes, as described, a relay responsive to such changes in the circuit, and a receiving-instrument controlled by said relay, another relay, also responsive to such changes in the circuit, and means controlled by the lastnamed relay for eflecting the operation of an audible alarm or warning signal only upon the occurance of the prolonged, change, substan tially as described.

2. In a system for transmitting signals from one station to another, a transmitting apparatus constructed and arranged to transmit a series of total interruptions and a prolonged interruption, and also a series of total interruptions, as described, a relay responsive to such interruptions of the circuit, anda receiving-instrument controlled by said relay, another relay, also responsive to such interruptions of the circuit, and means controlled by the armature of the last-named relay for closing a local circuit containing an audible alarm or warning signal only upon the occurrence of the prolonged interruption, substantially as described.

8. In an electric circuit, a transmitting apparatus constructed and arranged to produce a series of changes of short duration in the condition of the circuit, also a series of short changes and a prolonged change, combined witha reccivinginstrument responsive to such changes in the circuit, and an audible alarm responsive to the prolonged change only, submitting-station for changing the condition of 4,0

the current to produce impulses of the same character of short and long duration at will, combined with two receivers located at the re ceiving-station, one of which responds to the impulses of short duration and the other responds to the impulses of long duration only, substantially as described.

5. In a municipal telegraph system, an electric circuit connecting a main and one or more substations, and a signal-transmitter at each sub-station containing circuit-controlling devices which change the condition of the circuit for intervals of short and long duration at will, combined with a message-recording instrument at the main station which receives the signals transmitted, and an audible alarm, also located at the main station, responsive only to the long changes produced by the circuit-controlling devices at the substations, whereby awarning-signal may be sounded for some and not for other signals, at the will 0 the operator, as set forth. 4

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BERNIOE J. NOYES.

Witnesses:

F. CUTTER, F. L. EMERY. 

